Girl Meets Farkle
by MissLys19
Summary: Sometimes the people you like are right in front of you and you never really know until a compilation of moments build together to form this realization that you and this other person were meant to be together. Girl Meets Farkle is a compilation of such moments where Riley slowly begins to see Farkle as more than just friend.
1. Chapter 1

**Riley Meets the New Farkle - Part I**

The JC Penny bag crinkled with every step Riley made. As she walked the sidewalks of New York she saw her reflection in the store window panes. In the window panes she saw a happy-go-lucky girl donning her plucky suspenders with long brown hair trailing behind her. Pasted on her face was a dorky smile, only a smile that Riley Matthews could wear and she wore it well. It felt good to be herself again, thought Riley. After going through a short-lived goth phase, she knew that being her goofy self was better than her dark made up façade.

Next to her was her best friend Maya, fair and blond-haired with a glint of determination in her eye with every step. Together they stepped into Topanga's café where she saw her other friends Lucas and Farkle. They were sitting comfortably in their spot drinking milkshakes. Lucas' broad shoulders stood upright while Farkle was slouched on the couch ribbed beanie still plastered to his head, but Riley could still spot his usual vanilla milkshake with the rainbow sprinkles. At this sight, she couldn't help but smile wider.

Riley marched up to Farkle and stretched out the bag. Farkle's eyes scanned the bag up and down.

"What's this?" He asked curiously.

"This is you. And you will be Farkle again when you put on this turtle neck again." She waited expectantly for Farkle to grab the bag, but he just stared at her.

"Farkle, why won't you take it? Don't you see? I'm back to normal." For extra measure, she did a mini swirl and snapped her suspenders.

He shrugged, "I know."

Maya's eyes were alight with slight annoyance. "Take the bag Farkle. Ms. Wednesday Addams over here already came back from the dark side and this shirt wasn't cheap"

Farkle just stared at them. Riley sat down next to him. "I know who I am now. I know I'm not the cool, brooding goth but I know that I'm not just a goofy dork. I decided that I'm not going to let a silly yearbook photo dictate who I am and you shouldn't either. Not many people can say that they're their own person and being Farkle is the best thing you could ever be."

"Riley's right. I know for a fact that I couldn't do quantum physics". Lucas added. "So come back so we can stop scaring Mr. Matthews".

"Yea! No one can wear a turtleneck everyday and get away with it." Maya chimed in.

"What we're trying to say, Farkle, is that we love you for who you are." Riley said pointedly.

Farkle looked at each of us. "Guys, I appreciate your concern, but I like who I am. People change. I may have done it to change my image at first but this beanie has really grown on me and I like this new Farkle. So deal with it."

With that he took a deep slurp of his milkshake and went back to the counter. Maya and Lucas's mouths hung open in awe. I realized I had been sitting there clutching the bag with the turtleneck in it. So this was the new Farkle. Like everyone else, she was surprised too.

"Well looks like Donnie Barnes is here to stay." Maya surmised.

I took a peek at Farkle's back. It was one thing to accept yourself but it was another to accept that you aren't the kid that you once were. And now that she thought of it, she couldn't help but notice that as Farkle leaned over the counter, his shoulders seemed to stretch out his hoodie and he was becoming as tall as Maya's mom. The beanie pulled back his boyish fringe and she observed his electric blue eyes. He has changed, but oddly enough Riley didn't feel that concerned. Was Farkle always that tall? When did he grow up? She wondered.

It wasn't until Farkle came back to offer a sip of his drink did Riley finally unclench the handles of the bag which softly thumped to the floor. A quick glance later, she caught herself in the reflection of one of the decorative mirrors and saw a smile, but this one wasn't her usual dorky one. This smile - she didn't know how to categorize it, nor could she pinpoint her exact feelings. She felt unbearably happy for someone who may have lost her friend to Donnie Barnes, but then again, she did see a smattering of rainbow sprinkles on his milkshake and that was enough to reassure her that everything was going to be alright. Maybe even better.


	2. Chapter 2

*Authors note: Carrie Nation refers to a woman's temperance activist who liked to use a hatchet to destroy bars in protest of the prohibition of alcohol. Also Louisa May Alcott is the feminist writer who wrote Little Women. (shh..this will all make sense later. trust me) And Thanks for Reading! ^_^

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"Good night, Riley."

"Good night Charlie."

At this Riley hastily let go of his clammy hands and scurried down the steps to the portico at Topanga's. She was only a couple steps down before he called out, "So how about a second date?" Riley turned to face him. He had his hands in his pockets and he tilted on his heels waiting in expectation.

"That…would be great. Really, great. You should call me – or text me. Shoot! Even send me an e-mail! Whatever is convenient for you really. There's no rush. None at all. Just –" Riley rambled on "Just – call – yea, you should just call me. That would be good er – great."

He gave her one of his lopsided smiles. "Yea, that would be great. Good night Riley."

"Good night Charlie."

Riley let out a sigh before plopping herself in her personal alcove. A velvet evergreen armchair was snuggled in between two tall bookshelves in the far reaches of the café. There was a tall reading lamp that cast a warm glow, which was especially homey near closing time when her mom gradually began to turn off the lights. Aside from her bay window, this alcove was her reading space as well as her alternative pondering place. After tonight's date with Charlie, she most definitely needed time to sit and think. The best part about the spot was that it was more or less secluded because hardly anybody wanted to read the science and economic books unless people intended to read themselves to sleep.

She was fiddling with the tassels of her peasant blouse when she heard shuffling. Startled, she stood up. With some of the lights turned off, but the café still open, she was hesitant to assume that it was her mom. Immediately, she whipped out a copy of a Stephen Hawking hardback and held it above her head for ultimate head-hitting leverage. She heard more shuffling. With bated breath she counted to three before she launched herself into the shadows only to collide with another body.

"OUCH!" It was a boy's yell that she heard, but it was also a familiar one.

"Farkle?" Riley whipped out her iPhone light onto what was definitely Farkle's lanky frame. The book was lying precariously on his face and she on his body. He looked slightly dazed but no less annoyed.

"Yes! In the flesh, although, I can't feel any of it with you pinning me down."

"Oh! Sorry!"

"What are you? Carrie Nation?" Quickly she stood up and helped Farkle to his feet.

"Actually, I'd like to think of myself as more of a Louisa May Alcott, thank you very much."

"So Louisa May Alcott, what are you doing here?" Farkle asked.

"Shouldn't I be asking you the same question, Farkle? Why are you here? We're about to close," Riley replied back.

"You're actually holding it."

"What?" Farkle leaned over to pick up the book that Riley had threatened to club him with only just a minute ago. He flipped through it's pages, and murmured, "Yup, this it it. I came here to buy this book." Riley saw that it was The Theory of Everything. "Seeing as you're the daughter of the owner, I'm not surprised to see you here. But why exactly _here_?" Farkle gestured to the general area.

"I come here to think. You wanna sit with me?"

"There's only one chair."

"But there's plenty of carpet. And it's quite cozy."

The whole situation seemed kind of childish in a way. They sat criss-crossed apple sauce with only the glow of the lamp casting shadows on the book shelves. Riley subconsciously began to play with her tassels again. The thought took her back to her date with Charlie; that seemed like a whole other level of childishness.

"jemand dumm genug ist, in ein schwarzes Loch fallen, wird für immer verloren sein.."

"What!?" Riley exclaimed. Farkle laughed.

"You were completed zoned out so I've been talking in German for a good whole minute." Farkle kept laughing.

"What were you saying?"

"Oh you know, just that you're so silly and all." Riley, who wasn't one for comebacks, pouted. "But seriously though, what's up?"

Riley debated internally whether she should tell Farkle about her date. Would he even want to hear it? Despite this, she found herself rambling on about the movies and the glorious butter to popcorn ratio.

"So, how was Charlie?"

"What do you think? I just told you. It was great…" She trailed off. Farkle stared at her to the point that it unsettled her. It was as if he saw through the lie.

"Sounds great. At least, the movie theater sounded great. Now, how was your date really?"

"Do you even want to hear about it? You'll only find it boring." Riley countered.

"Well, why would I ask you then? No judgment." He saw the hesitation cross my face so he pulled out his pinky. "I pinky swear." She saw the light cast a shadow of his pinky on the wall. Riley didn't know why should felt the need to hide the date so much, but with Farkle sitting across from her, looking at her so earnestly, she couldn't help but spill. After they interlocked pinky fingers, Riley sighed.

"It was….ok. Not good, not great. Just ok. We didn't talk much. Or…touch much. We sat there awkwardly like two lumpy potatoes. He even tried to hold my hand. Who does that? Who tries to hold someone's hand in a movie theater!? It's like he didn't even want to watch the movie! So I just stuffed my face with popcorn the whole entire time. I'm pretty sure I still have kernels in my hair. I also made a lot of bathroom trips."

"Was he nice at least?"

"Oh yes! He was super nice!" Riley replied.

"Then what was the problem? It's normal to be awkward on the first date, I would think." Farkle said.

Riley suddenly began to have a great interest in her tassels. "Riley?" She waited a while before she responded.

"He was nice, but…it just didn't seem to fit. He did everything right, but it just didn't feel right. I didn't get the bubbles."

"Bubbles?" Farkle looked amused as he was so apt to do with Riley.

"The _Bubbles,"_ she stressed, "are crucial to every relationship and they are not to be mistaken with the Butterflies. I don't get the butterflies; I get the bubbles. Do you remember that scene in Charlie in the Chocolate factory where Charlie and his grandpa drink the soda and float to the ceiling?" Riley asked. Farkle nodded. "When I get the bubbles, I have this floating feeling. It's like every time I see him, I feel this rush, this high that I can't come down from. I can only giggle and laugh every time I see him, and every time I float down and my feet touch the ground I want to drink the soda and float up again. _That's_ what I was missing. Charlie didn't give me the bubbles." Riley sighed again and let her eyes wander the stacks of books. Farkle and Riley just sat there for a little in silence. They could faintly hear the pings of Topanga cashing out the register.

"Because it's not him." Farkle said. Riley gave Farkle a curious look. "The only person who can give you the bubbles is Lucas."

Riley let out what could be inferred as a high-pitched laughed although the sound was debatable. "Pfft! Lucas? That is simply ridiculous Farkle! Lucas and I?! No way! We're brother and sister now! We are too alike to be a couple! If Charlie and I are two awkward lumpy potatoes, then Lucas and I are – just the two soggy fries left in your take-out bag!"

Farkle looked Riley straight in the eyes. "Riley. Just admit it. Admit one like that movie ticket. You like Lucas."

Riley looked away again, "I can't," she murmured.

"Why?" Farkle asked, "It's obvious you still have feelings for him. You guys have had so much history with each other, and I'm not just talking about Mr. Matthew's class."

"I can't, because I can only see him as a brother," she murmured again.

"Riley, stop lying to yourself. I know why you're doing this. You're trying to be a good friend for Maya, but you always do this. You always put your happiness before others. You don't even know how Lucas feels either."

The room suddenly seemed darker as Riley could feel the room go deeper into the night. Her mom would almost be done closing up soon. "Maya is one of the most important people in the world to me, and I can't, I won't ruin that, Farkle. Even if it's true, and even if I like Lucas, Maya deserves him more than I do."

"Don't say that! Riley you deserve a guy to give you those flubbless,"

"You mean bubbles," Riley interjected.

"Whatever! The point is, you deserve a guy to make you feel that way with Lucas. I'm not saying you should ruin your friendship with Maya, but stop lying to yourself and eventually you got to stop lying to Maya and Lucas. We don't lie to each other, Riley."

Riley's eyes began to water, she ducked her head down low so Farkle wouldn't see. How could Farkle sum up everything she had been bottling up inside with one go? She definitely felt like Charlie in the Chocolate factory, but she had bottled up those feelings to the point that she was going to explode. But telling Maya was not an option. As much as she loved Farkle, and Maya, and Lucas, there was some lies that were worth keeping. She placed more importance on her friendship more than any romance with a boy, and any chance of losing that would be as if the sky fell down and the world lost its gravity.

"I – I think this is just hard, but I think I just need some time. You're right, I'll tell Maya, but please, don't tell anybody." Farkle nodded and lifted up his pinky. They made another pinky promise in the dim light of the room. Farkle opened his arms and Riley went in for the hug. She took in Farkle's scent. Pine cones she mused. She felt comfortable in his arms and she felt like everything was going to be ok even if her heart was throbbing with pain.

"Thank you Farkle," She said in his ear. She sat back and wiped her tears with her sleeve.

"So what are you reading again?" Riley picked up the book and flipped it over. The cover had a picture of a galaxy swirled with various colors.

"Oh this?

"What's it about?" Riley prodded.

"You actually want to hear me babble about scientific theories? Really?" He said, he almost looked kind of excited. "It's about Stephan Hawkings different theories about the universe."

"Tell me more." With that, Farkle's face lit up, and together they sat in the alcove where Riley listened to Farkle talk about black holes and singularities until Topanga's came in to turn of the last light. She sighed for what felt like the millionth time that evening, but it was more of a sigh of relief. It was as if she felt a weight lifted off her shoulders, for now at least. Later that night, as her mom locked the door to the café, Riley and Farkle stood there.

"Thanks for listening Farkle. I needed that."

"Any time. Good night Riley."

"Goodnight Farkle."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note:**_ _Hello? Hi? Salutations? How does one properly greet a fan audience? (Or anyone for that matter). It's been a while. During November I have no excuses except that I just never got to writing but, then December came in the way, and then I actually had an legitimate reason to hold off on the fanfic. The reason also begins with an F. No... not that word, silly. Finals. (shivers). I just finished my last one today and I hope that this fanfic was worth the long wait. If not, stay tuned because I'm gonna make sure I make up for the lack of updates over break. I hope you guys also enjoy your holiday break and for those of you who have followed and reviewed, I want to extend a warm and welcoming thank you! You guys have been so encouraging, so thank you thank you for being patience with my amateur fanficking!_

* * *

"RIIIIIIILLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYY!"

"WHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTT?!"

"Mr. Googly's on!"

Riley's head shot up from her math textbook. She dropped her pencil and left her eraser shavings in the dust. She rushed to the living room to see Auggie's brown ringlets bouncing along to the Mr. Googly's theme song. Without missing a beat, she plopped on the seat next to him and matched the rhythm of the jingle. Her dad, sleepy eyed and donning his usual morning garb ( i.e. blue robe and slippers), shuffled into the living room to see his two kids' eyes peeled on the TV screen.

"Googly Time!" He took his place next to Riley as they cuddled up on the couch watching the fuzzy blue character embark on adventures.

"I think the neighbors are at it again. They need to stop all this singing so early in the morning –" Riley's mom began. As soon as she saw her family assembled at the couch did she roll her eyes and mutter under her breath, "should have known".

This was a usual Thursday morning ritual at the Matthews: Auggie would summon Riley to sing the theme song, Riley's dad would join, and then at the first commercial break, Riley would fetch three bowls of Lucky Charms. At age 14, Riley was on the cusp between watching angst-filled love triangles versus quirky animated creatures waxing moral values, but despite her age, she didn't want to grow up too quickly. Watching this furry periwinkle creature made her feel at home; it made her forget about the emotional turmoils she would experience at school within a matter of hours. In fact, sometimes Riley thought her life seemed more like angsty young adult shows sans any supernatural elements.

Auggie tugged on her sleeve. "Riley, you're still gonna take me to see Mr. Googly's Grand Adventure, right?"

"Of course Auggie! I'll pick you up after school. Then after the movie we can go to Toys-R-Us, and get the new Googly Nintendo Game!" Auggie cheered while Riley grinned at the thought. She had been bursting in anticipation for months for the new Mr. Googly movie adaptation to hit the big screens. And if Riley was being honest with herself, the impromptu trip to Toys-R-Us was more for her than Auggie. She a took a giant scoop of cereal before the tranquility of the moment was broken by none other than:

"Riles! Where's are you ?" Riley's morning routine was interrupted with the sound of a spoon spelunking into her bowl and Maya's voice calling from her bedroom. She checked the clock, it was only 6:30 a.m.

"What is she doing here! She's not supposed to be here this early!?" Riley exclaimed. Riley snatched the control and before Mr. Googly could help his friend solve the puzzle, she shut the TV off.

"HEY!" Auggie whined.

"Riley, why'd you do that! It was a good part!" Her Dad chimed in.

"Dad, you don't understand! Maya's here! She can't know that I still watch Mr. Googly!"

Her dad scoffed at her. "I doubt Maya would care that you still watch this show. You guys are best friends." Riley groaned.

"Yes _, because_ we're best friends, she would have every excuse to tease me about it and that goes for you too. " Riley's dad's expression morphed into one of panic. It was as if flashbacks of class periods' past shot him with sense. Undoubtedly, Cory did not want to give her daughter's spunky blonde friend any more fodder for in-class teasing.

"Ok, I see your point." Riley nodded emphatically before attempting to nonchalantly eat her cereal. She rolled her eyes around the room, avoiding any contact with the tv screen. Meanwhile, Auggie looked extremely miffed. "I don't care about your weird friendship! I want to watch Mr. Googly."

"Don't worry Auggie, I recorded it on DVR." Riley reassured him.

"Recorded what on DVR?" Maya asked as soon as she stepped into the living room. Her black combat boots stomped into the living space with a familiar ease, but riley was quite the oppsited. At these words, Riley's mind buzzed between various excuses, before landing on a somewhat decent one. "The news!" Maya gave her a puzzled look. "Yes, I know what you're thinking. Since when does Riley Matthews watch the news. Well, you know, I woke up this morning, and I realized that I needed to be more aware of current events." Riley was actually pleased with this excuse; it was definitely one of her better ones, but Maya still looked skeptical.

"Then why is your TV off?"

"The news told me that the ice caps were melting and the bad weather was because of global warming, so naurally, I shut it off! To save electricity! To save the planet!" Maya only shook her head.

"Okaaaayyy….. while we're at it, let's go save my stomach from hunger. If you call now, you can donate a piece of toast to this starving child in New York." She made a pouty puppy dog face as she pointed at her stomach. Before Riley could say yes, she made a beeline for the kitchen. Riley let out a sigh of relief and pulled out a fourth bowl of Lucky Charms.

Later that afternoon, as Riley approached the outskirts of John Quincy Primary School, she could hear the sweet laughter and screams of children playing on the playground. She looked through the wire fence and spied her brother's signature little ringlets swinging joyfully on a bright yellow swingset.

"Auggie!" She yelled. It seemed as if he couldn't hear her. She yelled again, but he remained oblivious. Riley let out a huff of exasperation, before walking towards the swing set, "Auggie! I have been calling you!" Apparently he had been talking with one of his classmates. She had the same wreath of ringlets like Auggie but they were a bright yellow blonde. She had a one-tooth smile that seemed more devious than cute.

"Riley! Can't you see that I'm talking to my woman?" At this point, Riley was done with Auggie's snarky replies.

"Auggie, come on, we're going to be late to the movie." He reluctantly followed Riley outside the playground before he stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.

"I don't want to go."

"Auggie! What do you mean you don't want to go?"

"I don't want to go anymore!"

"But why not?"

"Because Mr. Googly's for little kids and I'm not a little kid." As he said this, he crossed his arms stubbornly and lifted his chin up in the air. Riley groaned looking upward at the sky, hands splayed out wearily. Why? she thought, why?

"Auggie I'm watching it and I'm a big kid!"

"Exactly! So why are you watching little kid shows?" Riley opened her mouth to say a rebuttal but nothing came out. Auggie grinned smugly at her, knowing that he had her there.

"I already paid for the tickets, Auggie! We have to go now! And who on earth would tell you that Mr. Googly's for little kids."

"My woman Ava doesn't like little kids, she wants a man!" He puffed out his chest as Riley stood there in disbelief. Once again, this 3 foot kid rendered her speechless. She was guessing Ava was the goldy locked girl on the swing set. She peeked at the playground and spotted her viciously snatching a juice box out of another kid's hands. The victim seemed to cry but unremorseful Ava swished her hair and stomped away. What she thought were ringlets growing out of her head seemed more like devil horns to Riley now. She turned to look at Auggie who had entered his "protest mode". He planted his bottom to the playground and crossed his arms. He stared right at Riley, as if to dare her to try to move him. Riley had been through this before, and she knew that there was no way she would be able to get him to go to the movies without some kicks to her knees and a tantrum that would make Mary Poppins want to quit her job. So, to her dismay, it looked like she was going to the movies solo.

Hoodie. Check. Dark Glasses check. Nondescript Mr. Googly T-Shirt. Check. Riley peered around every hallway as she crept into the movie theater. Luckily, the previews were rolling so she had the stealth of a dark room to hide her face. With hawk eyes she scoured for a spot before her eyes landed on an aisle seat near the back. It was inconspicuous, but it also made for an easy getaway. She kept her eyes glued to the lighted steps avoiding any possible contact with anyone in the movie theater. The last thing she needed was to bump into anyone from school. Settling into her seat she breathed a sigh of relief, because now she could enjoy Mr. Googly's Grand Adventure in peace. Even though Auggie was an excuse for her to see the movie, she definitely enjoyed the solitude. She cringed at the thought of her having to walk him to the bathroom halfway through the movie because he would insist on getting a medium size soda aka, a soda twice the size of his head.

Suddenly, the theater lights dimmed; Riley could feel the crowd murmur with excitement as the movie was starting. Riley hummed with glee when she saw the screen expand and soon enough she could hear the familiar sound of Mr. Googly's theme song blare through the speakers. The children exclaimed; a sea of mommy's and daddy's braced themselves for the next hour and a half. Riley had the reaction of the former.

The movie was only 10 minutes in when the cute furry face of Mr. Googly was rudely blocked by the silhouette of a large figure. Riley grumbled to herself; why couldn't people go to the bathroom before the movie started? The silhouette attempted to maneuver its way ungracefully through the row of parents and children. Riley tried to wait it out but the boy was still struggling to leave the row, this time his arms flailing. Riley knew that position; it was the prime position for utter failure and embarrassment because, she too, had been in that same exact position and it never ended prettily. Indeed, the boy, just as he was finally exiting the row, fell flat like a pancake on the floor.

She heard the unmerciful hisses of parents as the boy tried to regain his composure. In the light of the movie screen she could fairly make out a familiar face. Riley took a double take and squinted her eye at the hooded figure.

"Farkle?!" At the sound of his name, he turned towards Riley. His expression resembled that of a deer in a highlights, his blue eyes wide with fright at being caught in the act.

"Riley?!" He exclaimed. A shower of shushes rained down on him. He ducked low and moved closer to Riley. "What are you doing here?" he whispered.

"Er…Auggie wanted to watch Mr. Googly…I mean…it is his favorite show and all…" Riley blurted.

"So where is Auggie?"

Stricken with Panic, Riley yelled the first thing that came to her head, "Toilet!" The faint silhouettes of heads turned toward her voice. She didn't need to see their faces to feel the undulating waves of disapproval. "He…really needed to go. Those medium sized sodas really should be called super sized." She laughed awkwardly, hoping that he would buy it.

"But wait! Why are _you_ here Farkle?" Instantly, Farkle began to rub the back of his neck nervously.

"Err..I'm here for..errr…scientific purposes. Recent research has provided evidence that watching children's shows correlates with an increase in dopamine….so of course I had to come and see for myself….I mean this phenomenon is completely unprecedented…" he rambled on before trailing off, leaving an awkward silence to sink in. Farkle and Riley searched each others faces trying to predict who would speak next, but both of them lacked the gumption to swallow their pride and admit what both of them knew: they were in love with a furry cartoon character. Farkle finally took the initiative to speak,

"Anyway…I'll just go back to my seat now." Adjusting his hood, he began to approach his row. She could see the pained expressions of parents who saw him coming their way. Riley jumped out of her seat and grabbed Farkle's sleeve.

"Hey, do you want to sit with me?" Riley offered.

"Auggie won't mind?" He asked.

Riley smiled, "You can sit in his seat till he comes back."

It wasn't the first time that Riley had gone to the movie with Farkle, but it was the first time for them to actually like the same movie. While Farkle was a man of science who could watch sci fy movies until the break of dawn, Riley fawned over the sappy relationship of a romantic comedy. So to both coincidentally be in the same movie theater was equal parts awkward but and comforting because at least she wasn't alone.

Farkle offered his popcorn while Riley passed a box of Hot Tamales. He poured a shuffle of red candies into the palm of hand and picked at them with curiosity. "What kind of candy is this?"

"Hot Tamales, they're my favorite," Riley grinned, "Have you had any before?"

Farkle shook his head as he took a quick sniff like a cautious squirrel. He shook his head. "I have to warn you, they're pretty hot."

"I'm Farkle! If I can eat regular tamales, I think I can handle this." With this new surge of bravado, he shoved the red candies in his mouth all in one go. He chewed and kept chewing, seemingly unfazed, and Riley's smile of approval gave him more incentive to keep going. He tipped the box forward downing half the box. "Farkle!" Riley exclaimed. "Geez, save some for me." She snatched the box out of her hand checking its almost empty contents before he saw Farkle's face contort, his muscles creating shapes that she didn't know was possible on the human face. Suddenly, Riley's smile became smug. "Are you sure, you can handle the hot tamales?"

With his mouth full like a chipmunk, Farkle nodded his head furiously. "Then you won't mind finishing the whole box then?" Riley nudged the box in his direction. Farkle's eyes threw the box a furiously glanced, and Riley noticed a slight shiver course through his body. Farkle pointed at his mouth and shrugged his shoulders in mock dismay. Riley crossed her arms.

"I guess you're not so tough as I though you were." Riley cast her gaze downward, sighing all the while. She pouted her lips ever so slightly. One of the downsides of being Riley's friend was falling prey to Riley's signature pouty face. It was just enough motivation for Farkle to grab the box and empty the whole contents of the box into his mouth. Farkle's eyes began to water as his mouth had reached full capacity.

Riley used her hand to muffle her laughter that kept escaping the crevices of her hands in small sound bites. Her face grinned widely and she chanted, "chew, chew, chew chew". He looked like he was going to burst, but Riley could tell he was trying to keep his composure. It really hit Riley in the funny bone, when his eye began to twitch, and at that moment, Farkle grabbed the nearest napkin and spat a giant glob of what were once Hot Tamales. A nearby child witnessed this and tugged on his mom's sleeve. "Mommy! That boy spat out tomatoes!" This caused Riley to explode in giggles. Unending scoldings from neighboring parents shushed them. Riley clasped mouth but her eyes couldn't stop smiling, her brown eyes gleaming, as was Farkle. He looked a little nauseous but even he couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.

"Ha! Nice try Farkle Minkus, but it looks like your genius taste buds couldn't handle the heat." She loved it when she was right, but so did Farkle. "Oh yea, Riley Matthews? Well it doesn't take a genius to do this,". In retaliation he threw a handful of popcorn in her face.

Riley was stunned. "Oh my bad, my hand slipped." Judging by his equally smug smile, she took this launch as an act of war. Popcorn throwing had ensued and by the end of it all, there were no survivors unless Riley counted some of the kernels she found in her curls. Farkle had dug in the cardboard bowl to grab a fistful of popcorn only to come short. Their ammunition was gone and now they could only assess the damage.

"You've got something in your hair," Riley observed. From what Riley could glean, Farkle had kernels in his hair. She began to kernels out of his hair. She noticed that his white shirt also had some red stains from the Hot Tamale fiasco. Riley didn't also come out unscathed, her fingertips were stained with butter and every time she made the slightest movement she could feel the shuffling of popcorn in her seat. And God only knew what the floor looked like. It was only until the theater burst into laughter did they remember that they were watching a movie. One of Mr. Googly's antics had failed once again and they could only look at each other and smile. The movie was almost halfway done and Farkle and Riley had done nothing but throw food at each other. Riley leaned her head on Farkle's shoulder and sighed happily. Even though Riley had missed half of the movie, she didn't feel like she had missed out. One of the main reasons she watched Mr. Googly was because it made her feel like a kid in the best way possible. She didn't worry about fitting in rather she could enjoy just being silly for the sake of it, even if that meant force-feeding Farkle to eat Hot Tamales. It was also nice just being able to share this with somebody who understood what it meant to be a kid and to enjoy the simple things in life. It was only a matter of time before Farkle and Riley go to high school and soon enough they would have to deal with that emotional rollercoaster, not that middle school wasn't enough. It was comforting to have someone sit there with her in a sea of kids and be a kid with her.

Farkle whispered to Riley, "Auggie's not coming back for his seat is he." Riley smiled because he knew and she nodded her head.


End file.
